Cambridge
UNIVERSITY PRESS
ROYAL
ASIATIC
SOCIETY
OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND IRELAND
On the Sarada Alphabet
Author(s): George Grierson
Source: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, (Oct., 1916), pp.
677-708
Published by: Cambridge University Press
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JOURNAL
OF THE
ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY
1916
XVII
ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
By Sir GEORGE GRIERSON, K.C.I.E., M.R.A.S.
fTlHE earliest account of the &arada alpliabet with which
I am acquainted is that contained in Leech's
" Grammar of the Cashmeeree Language " in the JASB.,
vol. xiii, pp. 399 ff., 1844. Leech gives the forms only
of the vowels and of the simple consonants, and does not
deal with the combinations of consonants with vowels or
with conjunct consonants. As the subject is one of some
interest, I here give complete tables, showing not only
the simple vowels and consonants, but also all possible
combinations of these, as they occur in this alphabet.
The characters have all been written for me by my friend
Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Mukunda Rama Sastri of
Srinagar, and may therefore be accepted with the fullest
confidence. Two plates illustrating the alphabet were
published by Burkhard in his edition of the Kasmir
^akuntala (Vienna, 1884), but I think it will be found
that the following tables are much more complete.
The &arada alphabet is based on the same system as
that of the Nagari alphabet. It is most nearly related to
the Takri alphabet of the Pafijab Hills 1 and to the Landd,
or "clipped", alphabet of the Pafijab, and through them
1 See JRAS. 1904, pp. 67 ff.
jras. 1916. 44
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678
ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
to the Gurmukhi alphabet, but, unlike them, and like
Nagari, it puts the letters sa and ha at the end of the
alphabet, and not after the vowels. Kashmir, is called
the &dradd-ksetra, or holy land of the goddess Sarada,
and this is no doubt the origin of the name of the
alphabet, although Elmslie, in his Kashmiri Vocabulary
(London, 1872), s.v. Shdradd, mentions a tradition that it
is so called in honour of one Saradanandana, who is said
to have first reduced the Kashmiri language to writing.
In India proper, when the alphabet is written down, it
is usually preceded by the invocation Om namah siddham,
Om, reverence, established. 1 In. Kashmir a slightly
different formula of invocation is employed, viz. 6m
svasti ekam siddham, Om, hail ! one, established. As
regards the word ekam, one, it is a curious fact that,
while, in writing the invocation, the words dm, svasti,
and siddham are fully written out — thus, ^TT, ^1%,
and f%1T — the word ekam is not written. Instead we
have the mystic sign ^no, which is named in Kashmiri
ok u sam gor, and .is read as ekam. So that what is
written in the Sarada character is ^TT ^f*sf > *m> fijlf
read as dm svasti ekam siddham. The traditional
explanation of this is as follows : In order to master the
theory of mantras in Kashmiri ^aivism, it is necessary to
learn the meaning or power of each letter composing
a mantra, or the mdtrkd-cakra. Each letter of the
alphabet represents some mystic object. The vowels
represent the various saktis, the twenty-five consonants
from ka to ma represent the twenty-five lower tattvas,
and the other letters the higher tattvas, while ksa
represents the lorana-bija or Life-seed. 2 In this way the
1 Cf. Biihler, On the Origin of the Indian Brahma Alphabet, p. 29
(Vienna, 1895), and Hoernle, on "The 4 Unknown Languages' of
Eastern Turkistan JRAS. 1911, p. 450. Biihler translates siddham,
success.
2 A full account of the Mdtrlcd-caJcra will be found in Ksernaraja's
Sivasutravimarsini, ii, 7, translated in the Indian Thought Series, No. II.
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ON THE SAKADA ALPHABET
679
letter a represents the jnana-sakti. It also indicates the
Supreme (anuttara) and Solitary (akula = Imldttirna)
Siva. The sign is composed of three parts. The
horizontal line — represents the letter a, i.e. also Siva ;
the two perpendicular strokes II represent the other
vowels, and also the saktis ; and the two curved marks
^ (/ represent a plough (hala), and hence all the
consonants, which are called by grammarians " hal ". The
whole sign therefore represents all the vowels plus the
consonants, or, in other words, the entire alphabet. On
the mystical side it also represents Siva plus all the
saktis and tattvas, i.e. 6iva and all his developments in
the way of so-called creation.
In the Kashmiri name ok u sam gov, ok u means " one
" non-dual " ; sam is a contraction of samvittva, or con-
dition of para samvit, the Supreme Experience ; and gov
is for gdr u , it has been inquired into (and therefore
understood). With , siddham added the whole means
" the supreme monist experience has been mastered (for
it has been established in the dgamas) Ekam siddham
has the same meaning.
A less mystical interpretation has been kindly given to
me by Professor Barnett. He points out that the siddham
is probably derived from the first sutra of the Katantra,
which runs siddho varnasamamnayah, i.e. "the traditional
order of the letters is established (as follows) and that
this grammar was, over a thousand years ago, the most
popular handbook in Northern India 1 and the Buddhist
regions of Central Asia. The mark ^nrz> is evidently
one of the sacred symbols used at the commencement or
end of any important writing, such as are referred to by
Btihler on p. 85 of his Indische Palaeographie, and has
practically the force of a sign of punctuation. A not
1 When I was in India its use in Northern India seems bo have been
confined to Eastern Bengal, where I studied it with the local Paridits.
In the rest of Bengal the Mugdhabodha was in general use.
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680
ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
very dissimilar sign will be found at the end of the plate
facing p. 281 of vol. ii of Rajendra Lala Mitra's Notices
of Sanskrit Manuscripts (CJS()- Taking this sign as
one of punctuation, it would be natural to mark this first
division -point by mentally interjecting elcam, as a distant
echo of the numbering of the first sutra of the Katantra,
and in course of time the word elcam would become
petrified, the meaning would be forgotten, and a new
mystical meaning given to it.
In those parts of Northern India with which I am
acquainted there are, except in the Panjab, no special
names for the various letters. H a is called a-hdra,
^ lea is called Ica-lcdra, and so on. In the Gurmukhi
alphabet, used in the Panjab, it is different. Here the
vowels have each its own name. Thus, initial a is
called dird, non-initial T a is called d-lcannd, and so on.
The consonants are also named by enunciating each twice
and doubling the consonant mentioned the second time.
Thus ha is called Icalclca, ^ Icha is called khalckhd,
and so on.
In the schools of Kashmir this Panjab system is carried
much further. Every vowel form and every consonant
has its separate individual name. Most of these names
have no definite meaning apart from this connotation,
and, as names of letters, do not seem to have been
invented on any regular system. Even each syllable of
dm svasti, and of siddham, and the sign ^nm for elcam,
has its own name. I give these names in the following
tables, written in the Nagari and &arada characters,
with a transliteration into the Roman character. As
these names are not Sanskrit, but are in the Kashmiri
language, the system of transliteration followed is that
which is applied to Kashmiri, and which differs slightly
from the transliteration of the corresponding Nagari or
Sarada letters when used for Sanskrit.
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VOWELS, Etc.
JLXj \J X X X CU X X •
il (ML X •
KJ LMX. UJ \A. (JJ •
Kashmiri name in
Nagarl.
Kashmiri name in
&arada.
Kashmiri name in
Koman.
dm
dmkdrd dm
sva
soyam so
sti
f%
tevis te
elcctm
7 „ , . _
o/c ?t sam gov
Kead as ekam.
O V
-fir
w
sediv se
eld,}) (i,ov,
vvlv( v\A/ III)
a.
J Ml
---J **
damciv dam
j.nt3ic die no
sonant aspirates
in Kashmiri.
a
•a
4
ddau a
a
aitav a
-a
T
wdhdy
i
yeyev ye
-i
f
miinth a r
i
t
V
yisherav yl
Vowels, etc. (continued).
X vUl 11 ClJ X J- *
KJ Cxi. Lb VI < L •
Kashmiri name in
Nagari.
Kashmiri name in
&arada.
Kashmiri name in
Roman.
J-VC LLlCvL XvO .
-%
1
ar munth a v
<\Xj
ef f ™
(JJU JJLLb IAJU
-u
khur u
u
wopal ba u
-11
On
•J
ar khur iL
T
renav re
-V
0
Same name as for the initial form.
Thus, Iff kr is called hov kahas tal renav
re, or renav re
under hov lea, i.e. r
under ka.
T
cr
V&L ^ [^] S
raJchav r u
-f
Same name as for the initial form. Thus, cfi kf is called hov kahas tal r a lchav
I
leyev le
4
«l
Same name as for the initial form.
Thus, W kl is called kov kahas tal leyev le.
I
137
Usav I
4
*L
Same name as for the initial form, as above.
e
X?
talavy ye
-e
%
hond il
ai
•s
toll ai
-ai
lionjor
0
wutho o
-6
oh 1 shyur u
au
ashidl au
-an
ok u shi wahdy
m
-
mas pher* am
VI/
m
VI/
/?H% ^ ^
ad* tsandra phyor u
h
•
•
ft ^:
do pheri ah
Also called do
r ttttVt" tart ♦ ~l
pliyor all.
X
U
O
On
zihwamuliye
u
wupadhmdnlye
Thus, ^ cf>pa,
<f>pha.
morith (" having
Thus, k is called
killed ")
kov ka morith.
>
od u adau a (" half a")
Avagraha.
CONSONANTS
Roman.
Nagari.
$arada.
Kashmiri name in
Xi clgdjll.
Kashmiri name in
StQT»Qffn
kJdil OiU-tt.
Kashmiri name in
XVUIIlcvJLl .
Remarks.
ka
/cot; ka
kha
khoii* kha
ga
n
gagar ga
gha
n*ftf n [«*f ]
gosi ga [gha]
The Kashmiri
iia
-I
Tiavxig na
lancnace does
not possess the
letter gha.
ca
n
tsatuv tsa
cha
tshotin tsha
ja
*T
zdy i za
jha
J*
JJ'ftnrf it*
zoshifi za [jha]
The Kashmiri
na
nr
khona phuft ne
language does
not possess the
letter jha.
ta
c
tha
o
■Hit fro
sar-m&tha
da
^5
dud da
The Kashmiri
dha
* 0]
5^5 Pel
dalca da [dha]
language does
na
Or*
*TRjtS i Or]
l '
ndnaguri na [na]
not possess the
letters dha or na.
ta
y
tdv ta
tha
thosh 1 tha
da
dadav da
dha
u
* [v]
dun da [dha]
The Kashmiri
na
nastuv na
language does
not possess the
2xi
paduri pa
letter dha.
pha
15
pharin 2>ha
ba
bub ba
bha
^ffa h [Ml
— i j
boip ba \bha]
The Kashmiri
ma
H
mov ma
language does
not possess the
letter bha.
Consonants (continued).
Roman.
Nagari.
&arada.
Kashmiri name in
Nagari.
Kashmiri name in
Sfl.raflflj
Kashmiri name in
TJ.nTYifl.n
Remarks.
ya
q
yaw a ye
ra
7
raka ra
In
ill
Iciwa la
VOL
g
tvasne wa
SCI
*?
mi ,it -rrr
she/car she
sa
phori she [sa]
The Kashmiri
sa
sus sa
language does
not possess the
letter sa.
ha
to
v» c*i *o
n n In h n.
1 LLA/LLv MA/
ksa
koli veth* kshe
tra
truka tov tra
jna
la
lha
36
sr
St? V)
^1 I? * (^T
There is no equivalent for
(zdyi zahas tal khona
phut* ne)
bod u dud da (or bod u
raka ra)
this letter in 6arada.
Th is compound has
no special name,
and is simply
spelt out, khona
phuft ne ( = na)
under zdy* za
Note that the only difference between the characters for ma and sa is that the left-hand lower
corner of the former is round, while in the latter it is pointed.
Consonants followed by Vowels. — As in Nagari, the non-initial form of a vowel is used when it is
preceded by a consonant. In naming the syllable, or - alcsara , so formed, except in the cases of the vowels
r, f , I, and I, the name of the consonant is uttered first. This is followed by the name of the non-initial
vowel, and this by the alcsara itself. Thus, the name of lea is lcov ha, and that of non-initial a is
ivahdy, and the aksara led is therefore named lcov lea wahdy led. In most cases the name of the vowel
is slightly altered so as to appear in the agent or dative case, while the name of the consonant
remains unchanged. Thus, non-initial e is called hOnd™, the dative of which is honje, and lee is called
lcov lea honje lee.
The treatment of r, f, I, and I is different. Here it is the consonant that is put into the dative
case, which is governed by the postposition tal, under. Thus, from lcov lea we get a dative lcov leahas.
Kov leahas tal means " under lea", and lev is called lcov leahas tal renav re, i.e. renav re under lcov lea,
or r under lea. Similarly for the others. It will subsequently be seen that, so far as nomenclature
goes, these four vowels are treated as if they were the second members of conjunct consonants, and the
whole is named on the principle that is followed in the case of conjunct consonants.
The following table shows how each alcsara is named. With two exceptions the consonant
employed is lea. The names and forms for leu and leu are irregular, and in their place I give the
names and forms for Ichu and Ichu respectively. These are quite regular.
Roman.
Nagari.
&arada.
Kashmiri name in Nagari.
Kashmiri name in Roman.
lea
ledv ha
led
ledv lea wahay led
lei
ledv lea onunth^ lei
lei
ledv lea ar munth a ra lei
lehu
lehon i leha Jchur* lelm
1dm
lehon* leha ar khilr^ 1dm
lev
IT
ledv leahas tal renav re
lef
g
ledv leahas tal r a lehav r il
Id
I
ledv leahas tal leyev le
Id
ledv leahas tal Usav I
Ice
ledv lea honje lee
kai
ledv lea honjdr Jeai
led
ledv lea ole u shy uW led
lean
ledv led ole 1 ^ wahay lean
IcCLTYl
eft
cffH eK nn XErfr a;
ledv lea 7Tias phev^ learii
kali
ledv lea do pher* leah
Irregular Formations
Non-initial a is, as shown in this table, usually indicated by a short blunt triangle suspended
from the top line, thus Other examples are Pf Jchd, jp ca, 3? ta, and v» pa, named respectively
khoni kha wahdy khd, tedtuv tea wahdy ted, tdv ta wahdy ta, and paduri p a wahdy pa. The letters
^ iia, *P ja, 1? ta, and na have already a similar stroke on the right, and, with non-initial a,
this stroke and the following vowel combine into a kind of semicircle or hollow triangle (^) called
kundali ivahdy. Thus —
Koman.
Nagari.
$arada.
Kashmiri name in Nagari.
Kashmiri name in Roman.
na
ndrug na kundali wahay nd
ja
ifip *r f re ?it
zdyi za kundali wahay za
ta
ar-m&ta kundali wahdy ta
na
ndnagur* na kundali wahay nd
The same changes occur when any of the above consonants appears as a member of a conjunct
consonant. For examples see below under that head.
The usual form of non-initial u is a blunt triangle lying on its side, thus j, suspended from the
consonant, as in khu in the table on. p. 13. This sign is called khur u . Other examples are g cu and
5 tu, named respectively tedtuv tea khur* teu and ar-m&ta Jchur* tto. The letters ka, ga, jha, na, da,
ta, bha, and sa do not take this form, but suffix the lower part of initial u, ^, named wbpal wo,
instead. The resultant sign resembles a Nagari ^. Besides the spelt-out name usual with these
conjuncts, these particular conjuncts each have a name of their own. Thus —
£5
c3
ice
As spelt out in Kashmiri
Kashmiri name
As spelt out m Kashmiri
Kashmiri name
S
o
W>
(Nagari character).
(Nagari).
(Roman character).
(Roman) .
«
^£
klb
ku kako kas tal wopal wo
kukd ku
gu
5 iw
gu gagarl gas tal
gagarl gu
wopal wo
jhu
*3
zu zoshin zas tal wopal wo
zoshin za IchiLri zu
nu
*5
^ ig«r ^t? ?^ ffw
nu khdna phut* nes tal
khdna phutine .
wdpal ivo
Jchur* nu
du
1
f ^ wn*r *fr
du dudii das tal wopal wo
duda khuri du
tu
\>
<j <rnfr cps ww
tu tato tas tal wdpal wo
tutd tu
bhu
J?
bib boyl bas tal wdpal ivo
boyi ba khur^ bu
SU
shu shekar shes tal
shukarl shu
wdpal ivo
The aksara ru is formed as follows : —
rib
(Not spelt out.)
(Not spelt out.)
rukharl ru
692
ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
When u is added to a conjunct consonant ending in ra
it takes the following forms : —
Roman.
Nagari.
ic3
c3
■c3
Kashmiri name in
Nagari.
Kashmiri name in Roman.
kru
kov ka dutarikh khuri km
khru
khan* kha. dutarikh khuri
khru
gru
l^tr^
gagar ga dutarikh khurl
gru
And so on.
Compare the forms for Jcra, khra, gra below. Dutarikh
is the name of ra when it is the second member of a
conjunct.
The usual form of non-initial u is a straight horizontal
line, thus ji, suspended from the consonant, as in khu in
the table on p. 13. Other examples are "J ghu and JI cu,
called respectively gos i ga ar khur il ghu and tsdtuv tsa
ar khur iL tsii, the sign itself being called ar khur il .
Those letters which -take the lower part of the initial
form of u also take the lower part of the initial form of
initial u named ivopal ha u instead of ar khur il . So
also does the letter ra. Unlike the aksaras with u, these
[to next page
When u is added to a conjunct consonant ending in ra
it takes the following forms : —
Roman.
Nagari.
«3
c3
r-l
"03
Kashmiri name (Nagari
character).
kru
khru
A
Kashmiri name (Roman
character).
kov ka dutarikh ar kkur u
kru
khoni kha dutarikh ar
khiiru khru
And so on.
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ON THE SARA DA ALPHABET
G93
akmras with u have, except riv, no special name. The
descriptive spelling out is a sufficient name. Thus —
S3
3
■?3
c3
Kashmiri name (Nftgarl
Kashmiri name (Roman
a
O
Nag
■3
'/}
character;.
character;.
lit Iv
h'nii h'itnrtQ in J li'nu/y/ nil. ii.
gu
1
nn fiftv rtnli rt 0 i/'/»n/W 7i/f
IJWJIII xIlXllLlo ttlt/ lUU/Jilo ULl IV
jhu
I
ZOblVlTh ZUf/lLlS lUu \i/Ot)(XL
1
hci il
ilH
Icliona jwut 1 nehas tal
wopal bd il
dfi
1
dud dahas ted wopal bd il
ill
tov tahas tal wopal bd il
bhu
boy* bahas tal wopal bd il
iil
shekar sh&has tal wopal
bet il
ril
rd ar khara ril
Conjunct Consonants
The following is a list of conjunct consonants. Their
names are based on their component parts, the first
member being put into the dative, governed by tal, below.
Thus Idea is called kov kahas tal kov ka, i.e. kov ka under
kov ka, or ka under ka ; kca is called kov kahas tal tsdtuv
tsa, i.e. tsdtuv tsa under kov ka, or ca under ka ; and so on.
When ya is the second member of a conjunct consonant
it takes the form c_, which is named ^JrTf^l shutarikh.
Thus, kya is written S), and is called "^JfffT^
^1 kov ka shutarikh kya, and so on for the others.
When ra is the second member of a conjunct consonant
it takes the form Jk., which is named ^rffT^ dutarikh.
Thus, ^ kra is written ^, and is named eft^ ^rff^^l ^
kov ka dutarikh kra, and so on for the others.
.Iras. 191G. 45
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ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
kka
m
kkha
kna
*i
kca
3
kna
Ida
fl
toy a
fi
ktra
?
f>
ktrya
I?
ktva
fi
ktha
kthya
f
kna
af
knya
kpa
kma
kya
leva
3i
krya
33
Ida
leva
li
fi
levy a
U
k$a
«i
ksma
Si
ksya
£»
kfva
Si
Roman
Nagari.
Sarada.
Jchya
Jchra
fain
TTTT
rr
gda
XTm
gdha
gna
gba
gma
m
9V«<
*a
a
gva
V
grya
2-
gva
q
■
ghna
ghnya
ghma
%
ghya
ghra
%
iika
<*»
iilda
I
Si
nktya
iikt yd
iiktau
iikya
Si
iiksa
w
Si
iik?va
3f
Roman
Nagari.
Sarada.
i
nlclia
w
iilclvya
IT
ixkhya
W
nga
IT
hgya
&
ngya
5?
iigha
W
nghya
nghra
?
nghrd
iighran
ft
hiia
W
hma
nya
&
cca
ccha
cchra
n/yt n
U IvLL
cma
cya
S
era
If
chya
chra
39*
57
J]*
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ON THE SAUADA ALPHABET
695
d
tee
d
■c3
d
a
o
c3
>-»
a
o
■s
•ce
a
o
%-»
to
H
«
•c3
«
ioZ
JJ na
^tj
rt
clcjlia
jr
miau
S3
iHa
"ST
fifth vft.
H
171(1
•j *
£
dia
?z??idL
IfXIT
•i
J 11 u v
did
*t
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ON THE SARA DA ALPHA HET
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698
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ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
699
APPENDIX
The Alphabet in Saiva Mysticism
As very little is known regarding the mystic character
attributed to the letters of the alphabet in Kashmir
6aivism, I have obtained the following account of this
complicated subject from Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit
Mukunda Rama 6astri. It was written by him in
Sanskrit, and it is so full of technical terms of and
references to Saiva philosophy that only an expert in
the subject could interpret it. Professor Barnett has
most kindly come to my rescue, and the following
translation is from his competent hand. Everyone who
is interested in this branch of mysticism will be grateful
to him for the care and labour that he has expended in
order to guide us laymen through a maze of considerable
intricacy. Additions and notes by Professor Barnett
himself are enclosed between square brackets.
The account is interesting from another point of view.
It contains a quotation from a hitherto unknown treatise,
the Mahd-naya^rakasa. The importance of this work
consists in the fact that it was not written in Sanskrit,
but in an old form of Prakrit from which apparently
modern Kashmiri is descended. The passage quoted is
tantalizingly short, but I am endeavouring to obtain
a copy of the complete work, which promises to throw
much light on the disputed question as to what form of
Prakrit was current in North-Western India in ancient
times.
[Note. — According to the Agamas, Paramesvara by the
agency of his Sakti stirs up the Bindu (also called Siva-
tattva, KundalinI, Suddha-maya, Kutila, 6abda-brahma,
Sabda-tattva, etc.). The Bindu is the insentient material
cause whence in consequence of this disturbance arise the
six Adhvans (viz. the Mantra, Pada, Varna, Bhuvana,
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700
ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
Tattva, and Kala Adhvans) ; and it is the real substrate
of all differences of condition (e.g. rise and dissolution
of the cosmos) which are described as nj>ddhi8 to the
unconditioned Siva. The Bindu is a imrigraha-sakti or
" possessed Power " of Siva, but is in no sense identical
with him.
From the Bindu there emerges the Pranava, and from
the latter the letters, forming the Varnadhvan, of which
the consonants are lifeless bodies and the vowels their
life ; the combinations thereof form eighty-one words,
the Padadhvan, whence are produced eleven spells, the
Mantradhvan. The Varnas, Mantras, and Padas together
form the Vedas and Agamas.
The Tattvadhvan is composed of the Bindu or &iva-
tattva, the Sadaiiva- tattva (an efflux from the Bindu
without change in the equipoise of the Powers of Action
and Will in Paramesvara), MahesSvara-tattva or Isvara-
tattva (when Will is depressed and Action intensified in
the Bindu), and Suddha-vidya-tattva (when the reverse
is the case).
Some identify the Siva-tattva with the Nada, and the
Sakti-tattva with the Bindu. But the Pauskaragama
states clearly that the Bindu is as described above, and
that it is that whence the "complex of sound", naddtmiho
yogah, arises immediately, in which it moves, and into
which it dissolves (ii, 3).]
The utterance »ok u sam goji"", and its sign v*m>.
The object of using this sign is this. In the first place
the upper horizontal line — indicates the letter a, that is
to say the Uppermost (anuttara), or Siva, transcending
the Kula 1 and secondless (akula advaitasvarupa). The
[' The Kula consists of Jlva (individual soul), Prakrti (primal matter)>
space, time, ether, earth, water, fire, and air. The state of grace in
which all these are conceived as one with Brahma or Siva is Kuldcdra.
On this basis is built up the Kaula or Kaulika cult, which differs from
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ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
701
two middle perpendicular lines indicate all the vowels from
d onwards, while the two outer curved lines o c represent
a plough (hala), and therefore indicate all the consonants
(hal). The whole sign therefore indicates the totality
of all the letters from a to h.
Its utterance " ok 11 saih gov 11 ". — ok u , One, absolute,
secondless ; sum, the principle of Consciousness (samvit-
tattva) ; gur l \ known by the Intuition of the Ego. Supply
" by all ". This " One the Syllabic indicating the
secondless Brahma and expressed as a unity, is established
(siddhu) in all mystic Agamas. The sense is : The
Supreme Lord's secondless Power (Sakti), which consists
of the Uppermost (Anuttara) and the Yisarga, and (thus)
begins with a and ends with ha — which lias the form of
pure Consciousness, which contains in germ the whole
universe, and in which the principles of being are perfectly
comprehended — bestows transcendental power (siddhi),
viz. enjojnnent and salvation.
In the various Agamas it is laid down that the Word-
brahma (mbda-brahma), consisting of the letters from
a to ha, and having the form of a secondless Consciousness,
exists as the total universe.
To this efFect are two verses in the book Mahd-naya-
j)rakdm s consisting of verses composed in very ancient
vernacular, viz. :
akula ehntia vydjuika bodhdrani I
knlagata ahull satia gnmimu II
ganthi-eakka-ddhdru-v idharunu I
sdnekarujKt akkai vijuyunu II
the Sfikta cult in being more gross (besides details of ritual, etc.). It is
expounded in the Mahanirmmt-tantra, vii, 95 ir. , and elsewhere, ibid. ;
and a plain unvarnished account of its ritual, in all its nastiness, is given
in Tarunacarya's Kuta rahatya. See also the account in Visvakosa,
s. v. Kvldcura. The speech of Hhairavananda in Hiijasekhara's Karpura-
maiijari (Konow's transl., p. 285) gives a good idea of the Kaula as
others saw him.)
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702
ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
The meaning of it is : akula, form transcending the
Kula 1 ; chutta, touching ; vydpaka, omnipresent ; bodltd-
rani, seat of the rise of perception ; then kulagata,
existing in the Kula ; ahali, having the form of ahal y
i.e. of the consonants without a, this being a compound
formed with the elision of the middle word (a-varjita-hal
becoming a~hal), i.e. being in the form of consonants, but
being devoid of this a, which has the form of a definite
line 2 ; Satta, Power, the Power Ahala.
Or again (we may derive ahall thus) : Idti, she takes
or pervades the letters a and ha, the first and the last
sounds (of the alphabet), as she consists in utterance of
the letters.
Or again : ahal is she in whom there exists no hal, no
consonant ; scil. the Kundalini in the form of breath, not
written down, only in the course of utterance.
Ganthi-calcka-ddhdra-vidkdrana, shatterer of bonds,
circles, and bases; gumuna, murmuring, buzzing, as it
were, let her make a noise, utter a sound. From her
place the Ahala, scil. the Power consisting of the power
of upward breath — shattering in her condition of uprising
the bonds, circles, and bases — opening a passage for herself
to rise aloft — shall reveal herself, becoming manifest in
sound. [This refers to the Tantric notion which identifies
Sakti with the Kundalini force resting coiled round the
Linga in the mUlddhdra of the microcosm.] Sd akkai )
although thus secondless in character ; anekaritjya, mani-
fold ; vijay ima, may she prosper !
To the same effect (it is said) in the Amdvdsya-
trimsikd :
yd 'sato pardpavah sdntah sivah savvagato mahdn I
aprameyo hy anantai ca vydjyl sarvesvaresvarah II
tasydsti sahajd saktih sarvasaktiviay l pard I
1 See the preceding footnote.
[ 2 Scil. the top horizontal line in the figure N »TO'.]
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703
icchdjndnakriydtvena saivaikd bahudhd sthitd II
tasyd nditarapdyd ye bheddh kdryato gatdh I
tan antas tu samdhrtya sdmarasye 6ive sthitd II
" That &va who is at once Higher and Lower, still,
omnipresent, great, beyond scope of (logical) perception,
and boundless, all-pervading, lord of all lords, possesses
a congenital Higher Power which is constituted of all
powers. Though One only, She exists in various forms as
Will, Thought, and Action. The divisions which issue as
products from Her when She is in the State of bein^
aroused, She when in equilibrium gathers together within
Herself, and (then) She rests in Siva."
The object of study being then the Power, as it is said in
the Agamas :
sthfdd visvatanur devi sdlcsmd cinmatraviipini\
pavd nityuditd sdntd brahmasattdsvardpinl II
"The Goddess when gross forms the body of the
universe ; when subtile, She has only the form of spirit :
Higher, Eternal is She called, still, essentially composed of
the being of Brahma."
(The author of the Maya -nay a-prakdsa) thrice praises
firstly the Goddess (mentioned) at the end (above) as being
Higher, scil. in the words ahdachutta vydpaka bodhdrani,
next (the Goddess) in the subtile form, as both Higher and
Lower, scil. in the words kidagata . . . vidhdrana ; and
then (the Goddess) in gross form, as Lower, scil. in the
words anekarUpa : and (he means to say as follows) : " She,
though appearing in three forms, is one," and " may She
be successful in Her essential nature of Selfhood, as
identical with the Self : pervading the akula sphere; and
acting as avani (fire-stick), scil. mother, to perceptions,
i.e. phenomena ; and manifold in form, though one, may she
conquer ! Essentially consisting in infinite manifestation.
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704
ON THE SAHADA ALPHABET
may She without check, by repulse of opponents, prosper
in sole monarchy, i.e. in empire ". l
[The author then proceeds to expound in detail the
theory of the revelation of the Power in the form of the
letters, with which may be compared the &iva-siitra-
vimarsini, ii, 1, 3, 7, and 19, etc., in the Kashmir Series of
[ l The following extract from Shrinivas Iyengar's translation of
Sira-8u(ra-vimarsinl, in Indian Thought, vol. iii, p. 3G0, note, throws
light on the subjects above dealt with. The spelling of Sanskrit words
has been altered to agree with the system of transliteration used in this
paper : —
" Para Sakti is the mother of the universe. She may be conceived as
Siva-sakti, the consciousness of Isvara. She is Consciousness, Pure,
Universal, and Unlimited. Hence she is Independence {svacchanda) ;
she is the vibratory energy that drives the cosmos. Being consciousness,
she is sjmibolized * by Light ; as the light of the sun makes the whole
world visible, so she makes cognition desire and muscular action visible
to the man that exercises these functions, i.e. she makes him aware of
them. Man in his own real nature is Siva, but attached to a body and
mind. When these latter act, i.e. when cognition, etc., take place, she
turns his attention on them and makes him identify himself with them.
She is hence Malm-Maya, the great deceiver. She is also Maha-Sakti,
the driver of the cosmos ; in this she is symbolized by Sound, the greatest
manifestation of energy outside us. As Sound symbolizes this aspect of
her, individual sounds are the bodies, physical manifestations of parts
of her, viz. her attendant divinities, devls, yoginis, Saktis, etc. By
themselves, these sounds that constitute the mantras are merely, as it
were, dead sound ; they become vitalized when one acquires mantravirya
and makes the mantras charged with mystic power (Sakti). This is
done by the "rousing" of Kumlalin!. Kumlalinl is Para Sakti herself,
or rather, a minified replica of her, residing in a man's body. In the
case of ordinary men, KundalinI is potential merely ; she resides in the
shape of a serpent coiled round his heart. By the word " heart " is not
meant the physiological organ, but the centre of the body imagined
as a hollow and rilled with akasa. Alcana is sound conceived not as
sensation within the brain, but as an objective entity. Such an iika»a
fills the inside of the body. In its centre, which is the heart, * the
buddhi guha,' there is a dot of Light. It is the Siva, the representative
of the supreme in the microcosm. As Siva's Sakti surrounds Him in the
cosmos, so in man this dot of Light (bindu) is surrounded by the Sakti
in the shape of the sleeping serpent. * Churning ' with the bindu makes
the coiled serpent straight."]
* "Symbolized" is hardly adequate; " cosmically revealed, or
embodied" would be nearer. — L. D. B.
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ON THE SARA DA ALPHABET
705
Texts and Studios, with Mr. Shrinivas Ij r engar s trans-
lation (Indian Thought, vol. iii), and then he goes on to
give the following account of the mystic significance of
each letter, with which the curious reader may compare
the exposition in Siva-sittra-vimarsini, p. GO f.]
A : the first element in the conception of the Uppermost
Ego, perfect egoity essentially transcendental in
nature.
A : the sinking to rest in that same (perfect egoity), hence
the Power of Joy, consisting in the combination
of two as,
I : the Power of Will, styled Aghora, consisting of an
instinct towards external self -manifestation
amidst the union consisting of the equilibrium
of Siva.
I : the same when mistress (Uitrl) and, as it were, fallen
to rest in the Self, hence composed of the
combination of two i's.
U : the Power of Thought in the form of an opening out
(unmem) of a universe, while there is in (the
Power of) Will an instinct outwards.
U: a condition revealing deficienc}' in the principle of
Consciousness, owing to the excess of the object
of thought, while this (Power of Thought) is still
undivided like (the image) of a town in a mirror.
R, 11 : as the twofold Will reposing upon the realm of the
Void touches the luminous principle (fejas) by
the agency of the Power of Thought, it reveals
itself in the sound 11 like the lightning-flash and
the lightning. 1
L, L: when the same (Will) advances far in the realm of
the Void, and owing to a certain deficiency of
the Power of Thought assumes the form of wood
and stone, it reveals itself in the same way as
1 See note on next page.
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706
ON THE SARADA ALPHABET
the lightning-ilash and lightning, 1 by means of
the sound L because of its solid nature; hence
these things (wood, etc.) are similarly eternal,
because they sink to rest solely in the Self. The
term "neuter" is applied, because (the { and I)
are unable to generate any other radical letter
(blja y a mystical letter forming the essential part
of the spell of a deity), owing to their lack of
instinct outwards.
E : a triangular radical (bija) due to the predominance of
the Uppermost whilst the Uppermost and Joy
are proceeding in Will, (its triangular form
being) because of the equilibrium of Will,
Thought, and Action.
AI : a prolongation owing to greater (vocalic ?) sound, as
a result of the extreme extension of the same
two (scil. the Uppermost, represented by a, and
Joy, represented b}' a) in Will (the letter i) and
the Mistress (the I).
O : having the form of an extension of the Uppermost
and Joy, due to the desire for manifestation
outwards, in the Power of Thought (when the
latter is) in the condition in which the universe
opens out into manifestation.
AU : as this is an extreme prolongation of the same
(vowel 6), it is a trident-radical letter (irisula-
blja) 9 because Will, Thought, and Action are
distinct in it.
L l Cf. Siva-sutra viviarsim, p. Gl, and n. 39, ibid. The noto says :
"As the illumination (vidi/Olana) of the lightning-flash, i.e. the latter
is slightly superior, so the same Will, taking the form of the letter /?, is
like the lightning-flash ; the illumination of the latter, i.e. a slight
superiority (of the former), is the 7?, and the sound R is the seed of
Fire, consisting of radiance.
Similarly, Will when resembling the lightning-flash is L ; and so to
speak the illumination of the same, being slightly superior, is Z, and the
sound L, being solid of nature, is the seed of the Earth."]
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707
AM : a Power-inspired intuition for the first time of the
universe, so far (as it yet exists), as being the
Bindu, because it consists of sensation.
AH : an intuition of the predominance of Power in the
above-mentioned Uppermost (when the latter is)
in unbroken union with the Power of Joy, (so
that the Uppermost and the Power of Joy are
intuited) as being in the form of the Visarga.
The Powers of the Supreme Lord are five; each of
these Powers again is capable of a fivefold combination.
Hence the K-sevies issuing from the Uppermost, the
G'-series arising from Will when in her essential form,
the ^'-series springing from the same Will when she is in
the double form of being disturbed and not disturbed, the
jf-series, and P-series which arises from the opening out
(of the Power so as to form a universe), have each five
members. Of these the presiding goddess of the A -series
is Brahmi, that of the 7f-series is Mahesvari, and their
essential nature is that of the five elements of primitive
matter, scil. earth, water, fire, wind, and ether. Of the
O-series the presiding goddess is Varahi, and they have
the five subtile elements, scil. smell, fluidity, form, touch,
and sound. Of the 2 T -scries the presiding goddess is
Kaumari, and they have the five organs of action, scil.
penis, anus, foot, hand, and speech - organs. Of the
^'-series the presiding goddess is Camunda, and they have
the five organs of perception, scil. smell-organ, tongue, eye,
skin, and ears. Of the P-series the presiding goddess is
Carcika, and they have the five tattvas, scil. thought-
organ, Buddhi, Ahamkara (personal egoity), Prakrti
(Primal Matter), and Purusa (individual soul).
The semi-vowels have the four tattvas, Niyati, Raga,
Kala, and Vidya [see Kashmir Shaivism, p. 75 ffi, 153 f.],
and Maya and Kala arc included in them [see ibid.].
The letters sa, .sa, and sa represent Is vara, Sadasiva, and
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708
ON THE S AH ADA ALPHABET
Power ; the ha is a grosser form of the above-mentioned
Visarga.
In order to show that in the pratydhdra composed of
the Uppermost and the letter ha (scil. ah, the Visarga) the
whole universe, composed of objects and terms of speech
and constituting the Six Adhvans, 1 sinks to rest in the
Uppermost, the kuta-bfja (topmost radical) km is shown
at the end (of the alphabet), because it is a compound of
the letter ka, which is the Uppermost, and of the letter sa,
which is composed of Power. Thus the determination of
the letters.
Similarly we have above explained the nature of the
radical which is composed of the Great Spells, and
indicates Siva as identical with Consciousness composing
the thirty-six Tattvas.
[Regarding the above, see iiiva-sfitva-vimavsini, pp. 45
(and note) and 101, with Shrinivas Iyengar's translation,
ut supra. The Sakti, by combination with objects, is
divided into two (bijas or vowels and yonis or consonants),
into nine (nine vargas of letters), and into fifty (letters in
all). She thus becomes mdlini or a series. From her
issue, after the twelve vowels, bindu and visarga, twenty-
live letters, lca-ma, corresponding to the universe (the
/oa-series coming from the Sakti of a. the m-series from
that of i, etc.) ; then come the four letters ya, ra, la, va y
which are called antastha because they are established in
the Purusa as the sheath (kaficnka), consisting of niyati,
kald, rdga, vidyd, etc. (see tiiva-srUra-vimarsini, p. 62) ;
then come sa, sa, sa, ha, called iisma because they emerge
(nnmisita) when differentiation vanishes and unity of
being is grasped (ibid.) ; then conies the lcsa or prdya-bija,
composed of ka from Anuttara, and sa from ha, or Anahata,
and hence = aham, the consciousness of all being in self, the
universe formed by the Saktis Anuttara and Anahata.]
1 [Namely, the Mantra, Pad a, Varna, Bhuvana, Tattva, and Kala
Adhvans.]
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